Chapter 17

I look at the view of Manhattan on my condo on the very top of the building, usually at this time of the day the city looks peaceful and serene but what I'm looking at right now is pure chaos, all around the city black smokes rises and the sound of cops and firefighter blaring across the city trying to calm everyone and to put out fire and rescue those who got caught in the chaos. The Central Park now has blots like craters but smooth as if the earth was cut by a very sharp knife leaving no bumps but it was not so, it was cause by a terrible power that even the gods have never seen before and the person who wield such a power is neither a god or a mortal, it's something foreign just like his power. outside of this little island are those who seeks to destroy it along what is floating above it and also making it a prison to those who defy them. In the sea and land, Manhattan will soon be surrounded by monster and the force of the gods prepare for their arrival.

"Helen, why don't you come sit down and eat dinner with us"

I turn away from the sunset and face Uncle who is gesturing for me to sit down, across from him is my long lost father who just came back few days ago, he's wearing a silk black colored Pajama and a white t shirt.

Setting down the plate is a nineteen year old woman wearing a blue tunic and black jeans, I never dream of her making a dinner for me much less be in my house because that woman happen to be the Goddess Hera who is- was the Queen of the Heaven. Now he's my Dad's girlfriend.

She smiled lovingly at my dad as she serve him her dinner and He returned the same look. They never seems to able take eyes off each other nor be in a separate room which made it more awkward but it seems I'm the only one who feel so. After setting the food down Hera sat across me and we started eating.

Needless to say it was a pretty awkward dinner just like the previous ones we had since he got back. It was silent and the only sound was him chewing the food Hera made for him as if it was the most delicious thing in the world and of course the goddess herself was looking at him with gooey eyes pleased that the food she made pleased him.

My uncle look between me and my father

"So Helen how's school?" my uncle ask trying to start a conversation.

"Still standing considering what happen the other day" I said with a slight accusation on my voice.

My father drop his spoon and fork and look at me, I could tell what he see when he look at me. A unwanted child that cause the love of his life leave him, I held his gaze then he look away and continue to eat his food.

I stood up and walk away

"HELEN!" I heard my uncle yell but I was already running upstairs to my music room.

I closed the door and lock it then I took a deep breath

I sat down and play a music to calm my nerves. I closed my eyes and lose myself in the music then memories of what happen surface as I play Mozart. The rhythm correspondent to the battle. The explosions, and the chaos.

a few days before

Percy held out his hand and black orb appeared in front of him, the lightning bent and orbit around changing its course back to the sky god. The lightning past to the left side of his face barely missing his ear. As expected of the Sky god, Percy meant to absorb the lightning but it was too powerful so he had to change its course. Needless to say Zeus was shock and Percy took that as opportunity. A darkness shoot out of his shadow like tentacle, Zeus snap out his shock and jump high and landed in the Arena with a loud thud then out of nowhere the shadow surrounded him then come down on him as if to swallow the God. Wind blast the darkness away from him and he took to the sky. His master bolt crackle ready to be fired again but his enemy was nowhere to be seen. Then Percy appeared behind him out of nowhere and almost got the sky gods head if he didn't have a good instinct. He turn around and block the sword with his master bolt then he spin and held his bolt high ready to kill him but Percy spin and met the bolt on mid swing. Lightning sprout out where their blades met and hit parts of the arena making the audience scream in fear. A dark claw sprout out of Percy's back and attempt to stab the god in the head but Zeus tilted his head dodging it and push him away making some distance then fired his lightning bolt at him, he pointed his sword at the incoming lightning and a dark shield form at the very tip, the lightning curve upward right before it his the dark shield. It shot up illuminating the sky.

Zeus gritted his teeth wondering how and where did he get that kind of power. Below them everyone watch in shock as they fought, they have expected the demigod to die on spot not putting a fight but he seems to be holding his ground against Zeus pretty well.

Poseidon wondered if he's still looking at the same son he had years ago.

The shield retracted back to the tip of the sword and Percy put it on his shoulder, he smirk at Zeus angering him some more. A dark circle like halo was spinning on his back allowing him to fly.

"What are you?!" Zeus growled, electric blue aura is starting to surround him like second skin and his master bolt's power growing by the minute.

"Why don't you find out?" The tattoo on his eye spread down to the side of his neck to his shoulder then covering his entire sword hand. Dark smoke seeps out of the swirling tattoo and Zeus could taste evil in the air as if it was contaminating his domain. He pointed his bolt at him but Percy has no plan on taking that, he flew away from him and head towards Central Park. Zeus came after him sending lightning after lightning.

He swayed left to right dodging all of them, most of the lightning hit the ground and buildings causing fire and panic in the city. He swayed to the right and felt the lightning past through beneath his chest and hit the building ahead of him, it exploded and caught on fire, debris and glass falls to the ground. He could hear mortals screaming and panicking below. Percy stop before he hit the burning skyscraper then shot upward and stop couple of floor above, he spin around to face Zeus who's still flying towards the building while staring at him, he made a gun with his hand and point his finger at Zeus, four small dark circle appeared around his finger then shot straight towards Zeus then stop for not even a second and each circles split into arrows and head towards Zeus like missiles. The dark arrows came to him from all sides and the god had a feeling if he was hit on one of those its going to hurt. He dodge and deflected some with his master bolt. Some of the dark arrows hit the ground and as soon as they hit they exploded into a big dark circle then shrink into nothingness taking whatever is around it. Zeus look at the ground where one of the arrow hit, it absorb whatever it hit and its surrounding, leaving smooth craters with no bumps.

He turn towards the demigod with pure hate "HOW DID YOU GET THAT POWER!"

His voice was booming rattling the glass around him. Below Percy the building exploded again from the gas and the sound of firefighter blare in the air.

"Through sacrifice and suffering" Percy reply to his question and point his finger up willing the shadow beneath Zeus to rise up and swallow him.

Walls of dark shadow rose up around Zeus attempting to trap him and swallow him, Zeus shot upward and barely made it before the shadows close up taking him from who knows where.

He shot a bolt of lightning at Percy and he block it with his sword, he flew backwards then he shot up again. Zeus gather power from his master bolt and hurl the weapon. Percy look back and saw the weapon chasing him, his eyes widened and sped up. He emerge above the dark clouds that was covering the city. Then the weapon hit him. The sheer force of the explosion blew away the dark clouds covering the entire states and next, it illuminated Manhattan with bluish light as if the sun is up.

It took a few minutes until the explosion resided and the stars covered the sky. Percy emerged out of the shadow on top of a tall building with smoke coming off his body and his shoulder burn badly, Zeus was staring at his work with a smug smile on his face. It healed after a few seconds and stood up, Zeus who was looking up notice his presence and was shock that he was able to survive his attack with no scratch at all.

Percy rolled his shoulder and crack his neck, he hadn't had it rough like this since Tartarus ambush him in his realm. Dark spheres emerge out of his shadow and float around him like planets then each one fired a series of arrows towards the god leaving trails of dark smoke. Zeus either dodge them or hit them with lightning causing the arrows to exploded in dark circle then shrink into nothing.

Zeus lightning travel behind Percy and kick him in the stomach so hard, his ribs shattered into pieces. He flew back 50 yards away winded but he's already recovering. Zeus pointed his master bolt up and fire it in the sky then like wielding a giant sword he brought it down on Percy who's coughing blood. He look up and saw the lighting coming down on him, he immediately flew down. The lighting hit the building behind him, cleaving it into two.

Percy resist to look back and hit the ground disappearing into a shadow as the lightning hit the ground causing explosion of smoke and dirt.

Percy appeared vertically in a middle of a skyscraper with half of his body. He held out his marked arm and release dark smoke like miasma, it head towards Zeus and a bird accidently went into the smoke, it never emerge again. Zeus attempt to destroy it but his attack was useless, the dark smoke continue to spread like a plague and head towards him. The god thought to lighting travel again to attack Percy but he was surrounded by the smoke. He flew and head towards a tower at full speed with the dark smoke following him, at the very last second Zeus shot upward right before he hit the tower, he look down and the dark smoke crash into the tower, The dark smoke ate away the building and emerge at the other side creating a hole in the middle of the tower, it followed Zeus again.

Zeus stop and look down at it then held his crackling master bolt overhead, he was about to hurl it when he notice something on his right, he look and another dark smoke was coming at him, the god eyes widened as he was about to get hit when light broke out of the horizon. As soon as the sunlight hit the dark smoke, it all dissolves as fast it comes, leaving no trace.

A smile began to form on Zeus face and turn to his enemy who's standing a destroyed building. He tense when he saw the difference on his appearance, instead of left his tattoo are now on his right along with the sword but with a white crystal. The most noticeable thing was the color of his tattoo, they were suppose to be dark and now they are the color of light. Zeus was confuse on his position, he look as if he just threw a something.

He felt it before he saw the pure white spear hitting him on the chest at top speed then explode searing his very essence.

Zeus roared in pain and drop from the sky, he fall into one of the billboard in Queens then to the ground creating a crater on the street, people run around screaming from the explosion. Some mortal screams a meteorite fall from the sky and others thought Zeus was an airplane.

The god himself grunt from the pain on his charred chest, he look up and Percy was standing on top of a pole that bear the flag of US, his sword on his right hand and another spear of light on the other. The light from the sun seems to be gathering around him like bees to honeys. He threw the spear of light and Zeus shot it with his master bolt before it reach him causing an explosion that push every mortal in the area to the ground. Zeus flew high again and found Percy on his side. Percy swing his sword and Zeus met his attack. Then Percy kick his chest which cause Zeus pain then using his chest as footing he flip and slash at Zeus stomach then spin and slash upward cutting the god, Percy flew back then point his sword at the wounded King, the blade of the sword glowed white then Percy was about delivered the final blow when his arm was wrap around his arm and a scythe stabbed him in the back then the scythe lift up and threw him on the ground.

Percy landed on his face with blood drifting off his mouth "Percy!"

Hera rush up to him then turn him over, he cough up blood and look up. Hera had tears in her eyes and looking at his wounds with panic, Percy lift his arm and wipe her tears away.

"I'll be fine" he manage to say then cough more blood

"No, you're not!" Hera rip her dress and covered his wound to prevent blood from coming out then through blood she notice the wound closing, her moth open slightly and stare at the wound with wide eyes.

"Percy?"

Suddenly he put his arm around her waist and turn her around so that she'll be the one facing up to him and Percy parry the incoming chain with a sharp end. The chain landed on the wall of the arena. Percy look up and glared at the three figure wearing dark robes hiding their faces. The one on the right held its harm up and chains appeared out nowhere and attack Percy. He deflected all of them then the one in the middle with scythe jump down on him. Percy jump in the air and met her blade, he landed back on the ground while the mysterious being landed back where its companion are.

Hera wondered who are they and most of all, how did his wound healed up so fast without a drop of nectar or ambrosia on him, she look at her lover and she could tell he recognize them.

"It's against the rule for you to interfere" Percy growled

"You do it all the time then why can't we?" the three mysterious figure spoke at the same time and Hera's ears perk at the sound of their voice. She recognize them, it was something she could never forget, The other gods who were watching silently recognize them too.

One name pop of in their minds "The Fates"

Zeus lightning travel to the emperor box clutching his burn chest, he almost fall to his knee when Apollo caught him

"Father!" Zeus ignore him and glared at Percy with pure hate, Apollo mouthed healing spell underneath his breath. Hades was smirking at his brother's disgrace form, it was something he hasn't seen a while, he thought it was worth coming out of the underworld and take part on the unbearable Solstice meeting.

Percy's white tattoo spread further until they covered his right chest like vines.

"We know you could sense it too" the three of them spoke

"The end of our game is near" The Fates pointed to the west and Percy could feel what they're talking about, even from here he could feel his enemies wrath. He could feel its hunger to devour, a hunger he could only delay for ten years.

"This is the final battle, if you survive we will accept you, and if you don't we will pluck your soul from the underworld and will condemn you into pain worse than anything you have ever experience" the three of them spoke at the same time.

"Let the creator witness our agreement" Percy said sealing the deal

Percy point his weapon at them and five white laser shot at them it them directly but the cloak they were wearing fall down, empty.

"What game are they talking about" Hera ask him, her voice weary

The Furies landed on in front of the emperor box and bow to Hades, every was shocked, they never ventured out of the underworld unless ordered by Hades and they never go to Olympus never.

Alecto lean on her master ears and for the first time her expression was not anger but nervousness.

"WHAT!" Hades scream making everyone jump

Then add more to everyone's surprise the oracle awaken, hissing of snakes filled everyone's hears and green smoke came out of her then morph into a figure the Seven will never forget.

"Gaea" Leo muttered with distaste.

"If You are expecting a prophecy then you are sorely mistaken" Everyone gasp "But do not fear, this is merely a message" she said without her mouth moving and her voice sleepy.

"And what kind of message do you bring" Athena ask, her voice threatening and her spear is already in her hand.

"A servant of mine recently visited me in my chamber. He said the gods are unfit to rule and needs to be replace"

Artemis step forward "How dare you!"

Gaea ignore her and continue on "First he will judge you, to see you can be change and if not then he will bring forth a power never been tested, power that will rendered this world into dust. I know what you're thinking, that you can just send one of you children against him, that you can kill him. I will say this now, even if you gods decided to interfere it will not matter, he is the judge, the executioner

Beware of the bane of Civilization"

just as the last words came out of her mouth she disappeared and the oracle green smoke retreated inside of its host leaving a cold forbidding tension in the arena. Nobody knew what to say.

Percy turn to Zeus "I suggest we continue this another time"

Percy wrap his arm around Hera's waist and Zeus step forward and growl "I will not let you live this place alive"

"Don't you think you have more important matter to attend?"

"Coming?" Athena ask

Hades stood up looking paler than usual "Brother we need to talk"

"NOT NOW HADES!" he said without looking at his brother.

Hades grab his shoulder black smoke oozing from his hand "this cannot wait, it's about Tartarus"

Everyone turn to his grim expression "He's out and leading an army, he's coming towards us"

"War is once again upon Olympus but its a war you've never seen before" Percy said his voice carrying through out the arena "The enemy is ruthless, wrathful and pure evil. I suggest you prepare yourselves because in about a month Tartarus will come bringing his entire army behind him"

Percy turn away and held his arm out and a wall of like shape like a door appeared, he led Hera towards it then turn to look at his daughter standing in there then walk inside the light with his love on his arms. Helen walks towards it.

"Helen!" Linus shouted from the audience and she turn to him.

She look at him with sadness and regret.

She look around and could tell immediately that she doesn't belong in there anymore, not after what her father did to the king of the gods and so she walk inside of the light then it shut.

Percy look at the room where his daughter is, Hera place a hand on his shoulder and wrap her fingers into his.

"I don't know what to do" he said

"Just give her some time, she hasn't had a father for eleven years, you can't expect her to get to use having one in such a short time" she said gently

Percy shook his head sadly "I could see it her eyes Hera, she will never accept me"

she turn his head to him with her fingers and kiss his forehead "She's just not used to you that's all"

"I hope your right" Percy said

He turn and look at the chaotic city before him, it looks as if it was hit by a terrorist attack "I never really explain myself to you did I"

Hera took a step "It's okay you don't have to"

Percy shook his head "No, you deserve to know everything about me but... I fear that you'll never look at me the same"

Suddenly Hera garb his shoulder and turn him to her then push him against the window, she press her lips into his. Percy was so surprise he didn't respond at first then he kiss her back and when they separated out of breath.

Percy smiled "Shouldn't I be the one doing the shoving against the wall not the other way around?"

Hera's cheeks turn slightly pink then she put her hand into his cheek "My point is, no matter what you are or what you have done. I will always love you"

Percy sigh "then you better sit down because this is gonna be a long story"

By the time Percy finish telling his story it was already night fall and Hera was silent the whole time.

"... and that's my life" Percy said then look at the ground, dreading to look at her and see what kind of expression she has. He wouldn't be able to take it if it was look of disgust, and hate.

He heard her sigh then felt her lips at his cheek, he slowly look at her then she kiss his lips.

"I told you, I don't care" she said